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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 10

Pros:

Excellent for the price

Cons:

None

Over the decades I've owned lots of cameras and lenses - good, bad and indifferent.

This is one of the better lenses I've owned and by far and away the best kit lens I've ever owned.

I'm simply amazed at how good it is given that Nikon bundle it with their DX DSLRs for such a low price.

AndyF

Registered: May 2014Posts: 2

Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR DX AF-S Nikkor review by AndyF

Review Date: 5/15/2014

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $130.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

Affordable VR lens, light weight and sharp enogh for me!

Cons:

At the price, I can't think of one.

I bought this second hand about 18 months ago and I'm really pleased with the results.

It is a surprisingly good lens and only comes off the camera if I need something with a longer reach or true macro capability.

The VR is only really needed in low light but it certainly works when you want it to.

eskil

Registered: May 2014Posts: 8

Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR DX AF-S Nikkor review by eskil

Review Date: 5/5/2014

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $250.00| Rating: 8

Pros:

Good zoom range, affordable

Cons:

A bit soft, noticable distorsion, cheap build quality

As a beginners first (and only) lens the Nikon 18-105 is a good choice, especially if budget is tight. It is more powerfull than the 18-55 but not as heavy and expensive as the 18-200. While it does not have the optical or mechanical quality of the 16-85 it cost about 1/3.

Sharpnes is decent, sometimes even good, but not much more. Distorsion is somewhat noticable and non-linear which makes it diffucult to correct in camera or in post-processing. The mount is plastic and wear soon makes it fit loosely. There is no weather-sealing gasket or focus distance scale.

pietro

Registered: September 2013Posts: 1

Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR DX AF-S Nikkor review by pietro

Review Date: 9/18/2013

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $150.00| Rating: 8

Pros:

Good ergonomics, useful range, as sharp as anything else under $2000.

Cons:

None.

Versatile lens at a great price now the 18-140mm is around the corner. Does everything you want apart from bokeh'd portraits.
Better than the 18-200 considering the price differential.
Can get a 70-300 vr with the saving.

hunter

Registered: July 2013Posts: 2

Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR DX AF-S Nikkor review by hunter

Review Date: 7/21/2013

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 7

Pros:

range, decently sharpy for kit, VR

Cons:

ugly distortion, plastic, average AF speed

very decent kit lens and also beat the similiar kit lenses on the market at similar price. Distortion is preety evident and complex to say. It will work good on 12mpx -16mpx sensor other wise look for better lens for more demanding sensor. Oh Af speed is decent but nothing to rave about. Also sharpness is preety nice ( also little less sharp on corners). this lens is very sharp at 5.6( till center to edge) and up to about f10, only using at 105mm close it a little to about f7.1 or f8. VR is also one good point of this lens in my hands I can get a good result of 1/2 speed of actual focal lenght.

A good performer if this is your step into dsrl world.

ppk

Registered: November 2008Posts: 6

Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR DX AF-S Nikkor review by ppk

Review Date: 2/23/2013

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $265.00| Rating: 8

Pros:

Light

Cons:

Weak at 105mm

18-105 bought from Adorama as a refurb white box deal. Cheap and worth it. This is the lens i put on my D7000 when my wife is using it.

Sharp from 18-about 90 or so. Not any better than 18-200 that i can tell. Very light, simple and cheap. I don't even have a filter on it...

I also have 5 other nikkors... so in comparing if you can spring for a longer zoom, go for it. I have had this lens for 3 years and it serves a good purpose for family gatherings, with VR and low light shots... And don't be afraid of the white box jobs. They are ok even though the warranty is one year instead of five. The only lens that has let me down was an 18-200.

The 18-105 is a good sacrificial lamb if you have to share your camera with others, too.

tamiry

Registered: December 2012Posts: 1

Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR DX AF-S Nikkor review by tamiry

Review Date: 12/31/2012

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $175.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

easy to use, vr, sharpness, price

Cons:

distortion at low focal length

I bought this lens with the Nikon D7000.
At first I thought that the lens will produce standard image but to my surprise the pictures come out amazing.
The lens is very easy to use and is suitable for any use, whether wide or close-up photography.
In the auto focus status the lens will get the desired result for the simple user but not for professional user.
There is a little distortion at the corners of the lens- vignete, especially at 105 focal length,
Nothing that damage the image and can be easily corrected in Photoshop.
I use that lens for at least 85% of the pictures I take.
Lens withstand harsh conditions, cold and heat, not affected by them at all.
Strongly recommended for those looking for a lens to a wide range of affordable activities for every budget.

moose

Registered: November 2009Posts: 21

Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR DX AF-S Nikkor review by moose

Review Date: 9/2/2011

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $300.00| Rating: 10

Pros:

low-cost and highly efficient lens with useful focal lengths

Cons:

none

I am a professional Nikon user so I expect high performance, and this lens certainly provides superb handling and optical perfection at a very low cost.

Works perfectly with my D300 and D90 camera bodies when I want a light-weight reliable lens that covers 18-105mm. Instant focus and sharp as any of the professional zoom lenses I use.

On the D5100 camera body it is very efficient for travel and lifestyle photography. Amazingly sharp at all focal lengths.

I bought this one from Grays of Westminster.

hackmann

Registered: September 2010Posts: 5

Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR DX AF-S Nikkor review by hackmann

Review Date: 10/18/2010

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $300.00| Rating: 9

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $411.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

Decent quatity for a budget zoom, vr , ideal walk around lens

Cons:

none really (the flaws are acceptable at the price i piad)

this is a good lense for it's price, atleast my example is. The most important reaseons to buy were the long reach from 18-105 mm aka 27mm -157.5 mm (35mm) .

the second one was the VR function and the third the ED glass element , on my Nikon D80 and D50 it is a good walk around lense

Nikoboyd

Registered: March 2009Posts: 12

Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR DX AF-S Nikkor review by Nikoboyd

Review Date: 1/28/2010

Would you recommend the product? No |
Total Spent: $300.00| Rating: 6

Pros:

Useful zoom range, Very good VR

Cons:

Not durable

I use this lens for half a year. It was a good lens; good sharpness, good VR, fair focusing speed, etc. I say "it was" because the focusing mechanism was broken a week ago. It worked at most zoom range but I felt like something jammed inside at 105 mm. and MF didn't work!!!

I decided to sell it AS-IS on a local website.

What's up Nikon. Your lens last only 6 months. I have been using many Nikkon cameras and lenses for more than 10 years. This is my first Nikkor that was broken. I don't believe it. My ancient manual focus Nikkors are still alive, they built to last forever.

Perry Rhodan

Registered: January 2010Posts: 21

Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR DX AF-S Nikkor review by Perry Rhodan

Review Date: 1/8/2010

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $200.00| Rating: 7

Pros:

Sharp, compact, quick, light, handling overall, price

Cons:

Really nothing at this price

After using a lot of gear (C and N) this so called kit-lens blew me away on the D90. With the in-camera corrections of the D90 it is reallygood what this lens can do. For the D7k its a downer. AF is erratic and IQ only so/so. The 16mp´s on the D7k are clearly to much for this cheap lens. To bad.

Focus

Registered: May 2008Posts: 11

Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR DX AF-S Nikkor review by Focus

Review Date: 12/27/2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 10

Pros:

long reach, VR, sharp, sharp, sharp

Cons:

None

I got this lens after using the 16-85 VR for about a year and it's been dissapointing to find out it has a serious flaw with matrix metering.
But I'm quite sure it's the body, not the lens.
I used it with spot and CW metering and the results are just as good as from the 16-85 VR which costs more than twice.
Excellent lens for the money. Can't be beat.

Front-Ranger

Registered: January 2009Posts: 4

Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR DX AF-S Nikkor review by Front-Ranger

Review Date: 11/26/2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $270.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

Very sharp, good contrast, VR, solid construction, no creep, great price

Cons:

Plastic mount, would be nice to have a distance scale

I originally purchased a D300 bundled with the 18-135 in December of 2007. While I got very good results with that lens, I sorely missed having vibration reduction. After waiting almost a year for something with VR in a similar range, the D90 was announced with this lens. I sold the 18-135 and picked up a copy of the 18-105 at a very attractive price.

I have found this lens to be a step up in just about every catagory. While the 18-135 may have a tiny advantage in corner sharpness, I don't think any difference is readily apparent. If you can stop down a bit, the images become identical. Plus the VR more than makes up for any minuscule difference in sharpness. VR yields a tremendous improvement. I can now truly say that it is a joy to shoot handheld.

According to the review, the 18-105 is much better than the 18-135 at reducing chromatic aberration. Since the D300 automatically process that out, I don't have a basis for comparison there.

I have seen a noticable improvement in both shading and distortion over the 18-135. The distortion of the 18-105 is more subtle and wavy versus the pronounced pincushion distortion of the 18-135 at most of the higher focal lengths. I used to run shots with architectural details through PT Lens or DxO Optics but now I am content to leave them as shot for everday use.

For the small tradeoff of 30mm of reduced reach versus the 18-135, this lens is a significant improvement. It's impressively sharp and well constructed for the price. Overall, I couldn't be happier.............

PuxaVida

Registered: September 2009Posts: 6

Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR DX AF-S Nikkor review by PuxaVida

Review Date: 11/13/2009

Would you recommend the product? No |
Total Spent: $250.00| Rating: 6

Pros:

VR, good IQ, good price with VR function

Cons:

heavy distortion, soft beyond 50mm

A very all-around lens and balances well with D90. VR is useful at tele range.

Actually, even though it has a high zoom range the best results in terms of resolution (center and edges) and distortion can be get around 24-35mm. Other than that the IQ gets slightly worse and distortion gets really heavier.

I sold this one and bought a 24-85mm f/2.8-4D. And I believe it was the right thing to do.

Hughesy

Registered: April 2009Posts: 1

Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR DX AF-S Nikkor review by Hughesy

Review Date: 4/10/2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $320.00| Rating: 7

For a kit lens with the D90 I couldn't believe the sharpness of the images, while wide open there is corner softness on most focal lengths, stopping down to f/5.6 at the wide end fixes most of the this.

I found the sweet spot for my lens was at f/8 with center sharpness being somewhat sharper at f/5.6 from 35-70mm, however at f/8 the frame is sharp all over.

- Noticeable vignetting at wide end
- VR works well enough for me that i can get 7 out of 10 shots sharp at a 1/2 sec exposure handheld @ 18-50mm
- Compared to the 28-105mm f/3.5~4.5D IF it is slightly sharper at all focal lengths, That being said the images become almost the same in terms of sharpness when you get to f/8-f/10

I took this lens to an Airshow while the 105mm is just barely enough for take off and landing shots the shots that i did take surprised me for a non prime lens. I will most likely hold on to this lens until i get the 16-85mm VR,

Also I used this lens on the D90 I do not know performance on other cameras.

camerafreak

Registered: March 2009Posts: 1

Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR DX AF-S Nikkor review by camerafreak

Review Date: 3/1/2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $280.00| Rating: 8

Pros:

Excellent sharpness, value, general versatility

Cons:

Distortion a little strong, Vignetting visible at widest aperture at 18mm, though not terribly apparent on the field.

If you can get around the len's somewhat pronounced distortion at the wide end, it is definitely a step above all other "kit lens" until your budget allows for a much more expensive f/2.8 standard zoom.

Ty-Photo

Registered: September 2008Posts: 2

Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR DX AF-S Nikkor review by Ty-Photo

Review Date: 2/22/2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $250.00| Rating: 8

Pros:

Value, Sharpness, Range, Vibration Reduction, Contrast, Weight

Cons:

Lack of Distance scale, Distortion at 18mm-22mm

I sure am surprised that I am the first person to review this awesome lens! I am very happy that I decided to drop the $250 on this lens. I was shooting with the Nikon 18-70mm lens, which was already great for a main lens - but I was ready for something that added some range and low light usability. The lens is quite sharp throughout. Although not perfect - I consider it sharp as it is sold as part of the D90 kit. It may not be 100% tack sharp - but it's very impressive for a lens found under $300! The range is also very convenient and useful for travel if you decide not to drop the circa $600 on the the 18-200mm, which doesn't always deliver as much sharpness as we wish for! The vibration reduction works fantastically - especially since the maximum aperture is just average. Luckily - the image quality is ideal at maximum aperture, so no stopping down is required. Anyway - I'm rambling - so just go ahead and give this lens a try if you're thinking about it!

jimj1952

Registered: February 2009Posts: 1

Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR DX AF-S Nikkor review by jimj1952

Review Date: 2/4/2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $267.00| Rating: 10

Pros:

VR!!!, solid build-quality, great all-in-one lens

Cons:

None found so far

I had been wanting a VR lens for quite some time to replace the 18-135mm Nikon on my D50, but the only one that met my needed focal length range was the 18-200mm, a great lens but way more than I could spend! Then a couple of weeks ago I saw this lens for $267.00 online, read a few reviews, then decided to jump on it...and am glad I did! Have used it often over two weeks and am super pleased: build-quality and design very similar to the 18-135mm it replaced, but the VR is unbelievable!! I've taken several shots at 105mm (157mm equivalent) at speeds as low as 1/5 sec and the results were amazing. While I'm not saying those shots were as sharp as higher shutter speed results, I can say my wife didn't notice anything when she viewed them. If you want one lens that can't take probably 90% of your shots, this is as good as it gets...for the price.

andyafk

Registered: December 2008Posts: 3

Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR DX AF-S Nikkor review by andyafk

Review Date: 2/1/2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 9

Pros:

AP-S and VR 86.5viewing angle on 18mm

Cons:

"a bit heavy" said from my sister

comes with the d90 for 1109.00 ship n taxed
105mm vignetting

Rene GM

Registered: November 2006Posts: 5

Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR DX AF-S Nikkor review by Rene GM

Review Date: 12/11/2008

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $200.00| Rating: 8

Pros:

sharp, good range, light, VR

Cons:

distortion

I am using this lens now for a while, and find it the optimal carryalong lens for me. It is very sharp with good contrast and very good Bokeh. The build quality is good enough for me, since I do not change lenses very often. Even if I did, it would probably last for a long time.

I like the VR, since it allows me to go for 1/15 sec almost through the complete range. That is more than I expected. I also like the manual focus override. I like the zoom ring. It does not creep and works well.

You will get distortion at both ends, which you want to remove in postprocessing. If you do not want that, do not buy this specific lens. You probably want a prime then, since almost all zooms have a lot of distortion over a wide range.

Chromatic aberation was never a real problem with this lens, though it has CA. Vignetting, I never observed. You will get vignetting only full open at 18mm.

rockmeister

Registered: November 2008Posts: 1

Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR DX AF-S Nikkor review by rockmeister

Review Date: 11/16/2008

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 8

Pros:

price, sharpness at medium apertures, good vr, weight, ilter size

Cons:

slight softening at 105 wide open, build not as good as some Nikons

A great match for the D90 optically, and a decent all in one travel lens...longer zooms compromise optical quality, so I'm happy with the 105. Previous lenses included the excellent 18-70...this seems just as good an optical bargain + VR + an extra 35mm of zoom; well done Nikon. I've added the 70 -300 Nikon, a Sigma 10-20 wide zoom and hope for a tamron or Sigma macro for Christmas!

hierophant

Registered: November 2008Posts: 1

Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR DX AF-S Nikkor review by hierophant

Review Date: 11/16/2008

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $290.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

Sharpness, VR, cost

Cons:

slight corner-softness

Upgraded to this lens after the autofocus motor on my 18-55 II failed. Proved to be an excellent decision as the lens is a considerable improvement over the old D40 kit lens.
Optical quality is stellar; delivering sharp, contrasty images. Sharpness is consistent throughout its range, and excellent even when wide open.
Construction quality is good, despite the plastic mount; VR and autofocus operations are virtually silent.
VR performs admirably, helping the lens deliver great low-light performance.
There is some minor corner-softness and distortion, but not really noticeable unless you go looking for it.

All in all, this lens is a worthy addition to Nikon's lineup, and the best bang for the buck you can currently get.

rewer

Registered: November 2008Posts: 2

Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR DX AF-S Nikkor review by rewer

Review Date: 11/10/2008

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $295.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

Sharpness,sharpness,sharpness!

Cons:

18 mm

I have Nikon D60 and replaced my 18-55/3,5-5,6 VR kit.Very sharp and now i can use CPL filters for mountain landscape pictures.Fast focus, nice touch and more PRO look on your camera such kit lens.This is my second lens i ever used so i'm very happy with my little upgrade.For beginners is perfect combination- good body(D60)+cheap lens(around 250-300 USD).Go out and shoot!

gmenut

Registered: November 2008Posts: 1

Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR DX AF-S Nikkor review by gmenut

Review Date: 11/6/2008

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $300.00| Rating: 7

Pros:

Compact for travel, VR

Cons:

Vignetting at 105 mm Distortion at 18 mmm

I waited forever to choose a lens other than the kit to buy a D80, thinking I did not want a slow, variable aperture lens, then gave up and preordered the D90 with the kit lens.
I am pleasantly surprised with the kit lens + VR combo.
After using Canon PowerShot and comparing with my film SLR experience (Olympus OM's + mostly prime lenses) I have only 2 minor complaints about the 18-105: Noticeable vignetting wide open at 105 mm and noticeable distortion at 18 mm. I know software can correct both but this is still an extra step. I know tests show CA wide open but the D90 processes this out in software. Overall this is a practical range for travel, I am planning to add a 70-300 VR and a longish fast Macro to round up the range. The fast tele lenses I really drool over are $4,000 - 8,000. You can't always get what you want…
Recommended, but I would not go buy this lens to add to a range if it did not come as a kit

Gio

Registered: November 2008Posts: 1

Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR DX AF-S Nikkor review by Gio

Review Date: 11/5/2008

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $250.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

price, sharpness, contrast, and VR

Cons:

none, given it`s intended consumer class market

What other lens in this price class offers so much for the money?
I`ve had all the other Nikon AFS18-XX(X) lenses and all were just fine but IMO this one is the right focal length for all around amateur street shooting especially since it has vibration reduction.
The build quality is comparable to the 18-135 and better than all the 18-55`s and sharpness is as good as it gets in this segment.
OK, so there`s some distortion wide open but PT Lens ($15) fixes most of it if it bothers you.
If you need something faster you should consider spending 4-5 times more for the next step up.

paulyb

Registered: October 2008Posts: 4

Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR DX AF-S Nikkor review by paulyb

Review Date: 10/24/2008

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $239.99| Rating: 10

After seeing plenty of reviews all over the web, I got the impression many Nikon fans felt there's no place for this lens in the lens lineup, but I disagree. It's the perfect upgrade from the 18-55 II kit lens (which broke from being dropped, hence the replacement upgrade). One thing many Pro reviewers agree on is that VR seems to be a necessity now, rather than a luxury, so based on that, the 18-135mm seems to be redundant (but nonetheless a lens I seriously considered before this came out).

If you play with the 18-135, the difference between image magnification between 105 and 135mm is minimal. then the difference between 135mm to 200 mm is noticeable, but an extra $380 !!

Well, if this lens is in your budget, and you simply want to take great pictures of your family, I thoroughly endorse this lens.

The distortion at 18mm is noticeable when doing close ups, but only people looking for this will notice, such as lens reviewers and gadget geeks. All you really notice is the quality of the steady shot from the VR, and of course double the focal length of the 18-55mm for details shots of buildings and landscapes.

In the UK, this lens is being extracted from the kit and sold separately as some sellers are then offering the D90 body alone to owners who already have the 18-200mm (or similar), and don't rate the 18-105 as a worthy addition to their collection. I think there's a trick here that you and I can exploit to buy a really affordable VR lens with a very useable focal range, while the rest of the market scrambles of much more expensive (and admittedly superior) alternatives.

After reading the reviews on SLRgear.com, I made up my mind to buy and I'm very happy I did so. Thanks for all you who reviewed the lens here and to SLRGear.com.

brecht

Registered: October 2008Posts: 1

Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR DX AF-S Nikkor review by brecht

Review Date: 10/21/2008

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 9

Pros:

Very sharp!

Cons:

I've been very happy with this in combination with a D90.

andillion

Registered: October 2008Posts: 1

Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR DX AF-S Nikkor review by andillion

Review Date: 10/15/2008

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $300.00| Rating: 8

Pros:

SHARP!!!

Cons:

Plastic mount

It is currently the best kit lens.
It is quiet, fast and light.

And I think 18-105vr + 70-300vr should be a good combination

Vignetting at 18mm F3.5 may not be a serious problem when using with D90. Because D90 has built-in vignetting control which is similar to D700

And so far, I don't have any serious vignetting problem when using this kit lens with D90

WCranston

Registered: November 2005Posts: 4

Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR DX AF-S Nikkor review by WCranston

Review Date: 10/15/2008

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $320.00| Rating: 8

Pros:

VR, Good focal range, inexpensive

Cons:

Plastic mount, distortion, some corner softness

This is a decent little lens. It is nice to have the VR, and I don't really like the 18-200 so I thought I would give this a try. No lens creep like the 18-200 and seems like OOF areas render a little better than the 18-200. Overall sharpness is very good, but definitely in the worst cases at 18mm & f3.5 heavy vignetting and a bit more distortion in some cases though not terrible.

In some cases I do think that the 18-70 is still a better all-around lens, but when you need the VR this + 70-300VR does pretty well as lightweight travel kit.